Ukrainian military medic faced retaliation after bringing to light issues with quality of tourniquets
Pravda Ukraine
Anton Shevchuk, who had requested that the military medical forces replace poor-quality Chinese tourniquets, was transferred to a lower position in another unit after receiving a severe reprimand from the command of the head of the medical service of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade.
Source: Anton Shevchuk in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda; Slidstvo.Info
Quote: “I’m not sorry things turned out this way. A position does not make a person; rather, a person makes a position. After the VSP [Ukrainian Military Law-Enforcement Service – ed.] stated that the unacceptable quality of the tourniquets was my ‘own opinion,’ some brigades replaced them, and I met with several heads of medical services.
Hanna Maliar then stated a week later that the military had received 80,000 high-quality tourniquets, giving 40,000 people a chance to survive. It’s unfortunate that after that, I was placed in a position where I can do nothing to ensure that.
The state invested heavily in my studies, and now I will be the department head. However, I hope that my example showed others that you can fight for the provision of high-quality first-aid kits and tourniquets. I was not the only one who saw these problems.”
Details: According to Slidstvo.Info, when Shevchuk was hospitalised, he was replaced by another military officer and assigned to a reserve command post where he was instructed to await further orders.
He remained there for nearly a month before being transferred to the lower position of head of the evacuation department of a medical company in the Ground Forces’ new mechanised brigade. Shevchuk previously served with the Air Assault Forces.
In addition, Shevchuk claims that law enforcement officers searched him, allegedly looking for unregistered weapons. Shevchuk also told Slidstvo.Info reporters that they attempted to prosecute him, claiming he went AWOL while in the hospital.
Background:
- The story of poor-quality Chinese tourniquets in the 82nd Brigade, which was brought to the attention of social media on 20 July by volunteer Oksana Korchynska, launched a large public discussion of the problems facing the tactical medicine field in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Medical Forces Command “confirmed the effectiveness of the tourniquets.”
- On 31 July, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence listened to a report from Medical Forces Command on the situation with tactical medicine and gave it two weeks to check all first-aid kits issued to military personnel in Ukraine. In mid-August, it was revealed that law enforcement officers were investigating criminal proceedings regarding possible violations in the preparation of first-aid kits for the Armed Forces.
- On 26 August 2023, Anton Shevchuk, Head of the Medical Service of the 82nd Separate Air Assault brigade, who requested that Medical Forces Command replace poor-quality Chinese tourniquets was given a “severe reprimand.” Officially, the order states that the medical commander of the 82nd Brigade violated five points of the Charter of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and one of the points of the Disciplinary Charter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the document, referring to the decision by the commission that visited the brigade from Medical Forces Command, states that “[allegations of] the inadequate quality of tourniquets [are] the unconfirmed personal opinion of the head of the Medical Service A. A. Shevchuk.”
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